Implementation of Positional Play Training to Improve First Touch and Decision-Making in Modern Football

Abstract

Study purpose. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of positional play training in improving first-touch performance and decision-making among football players.

Materials and method. A one-group pretest–posttest experimental design was employed in a quantitative manner. Following a four-week positional play training program, 23 football players took part in the study and finished pre-test and post-test assessments. The 16 training sessions that made up the intervention were held four times a week for ninety minutes each. Levene's test was used to determine homogeneity and the Shapiro-Wilk and Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests were used to determine data normality prior to hypothesis testing.

Result. The findings showed that the data satisfied the parametric analysis's presumptions. Decision-making and first-touch performance significantly improved after the intervention, according to a paired-samples t-test (p <.001). These results show that by exposing players to game-like scenarios involving quick perception, information processing, and precise technical execution, positional play training can successfully combine technical and cognitive learning.

Conslusion. As a result, positional play training is a useful strategy for improving first-touch performance and tactical judgment, which has applications for coaches preparing players for contemporary football settings.